Yabunouchiryu

Yabunouchiryu school is a tea ceremony branch, founded at the beginning of the 17th century by Yabunouchi Kenchū Jōchi. He was a disciple of Sen no Rikyū and studied Zen at Daitokuji temple, the birthplace of the tea ceremony. After mastering the Way of Tea, Kenchū received his tea room, Unkyaku from Rikyū himself. The bond between the master and his apprentice was exceptionally strong, they loved each other like brothers. Rikyū even mediated his marriage with a member of the famous samurai family, Oribe. The Yabunouchi school became popular in the Meiji and Taishō era, and became global after the mid-20th century, conducting ceremonies in various famous expos in the US and Europe.

The founder Kenchū cultivated a strong relationship with the samurai classes, which reflects how he established his tea ceremony style, which involves large gestures and adopts certain manners and conducts of the “bushi”, the samurai. Their motto is “Honesty, Purity, Respectfulness, and Simplicity”. The branch values tea and the so-called “chakaiseki”, the simple but sophisticated dishes served before the tea.

The head of the branch now is the 14th “Iemoto”, Grand Master Yabunouchi Inyūsai Chikukeijōchi, whose philosophy is focusing on the importance of kindness and courtesy. According to him, the hosts need to serve the tea with all their heart, and the ceremony is supposed to create a deep bond between them and the guests.